Time-controlled mechanism.



K. G. HOOVER. TIME CONTROLLED MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED APR. 3, 1914. 1,133,963, Patented Mar. 30, 1915 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

MII I I I I 5 amemtom K. G. HOOVER.

TIME CONTROLLED MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED APR. 3, 1914.

1,133,963. Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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SWUQAVF Z /.&/700V6r THE NORRIS PETERS ca. PHOTO-LITHDV WASH/Nflrnlv n r KIEFFER G. HOOVER, OF DEMOPOLIS, ALABAMA.

TIME-CONTROLLED, MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

Application filed April 3, 1914. Serial No. 829,327.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, KIEFFER G. HOOVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Demopolis, in the county of Marengo and State of Alabama, have invented new and useful Improvements in Time-Controlled Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in time controlled mechanism and has particular application to mechanism which may be applied to and controlled from any clock or chronometer now in use.

In carrying out the present invention, it is my purpose to provide a time controlled mechanism which will be found especially useful in controlling the circuits of electric current translating devices and whereby such devices may be energized at a predetermined time.

It is also my purpose to provide a mechanism of the class described whereby the time of operation or energization of the electric current translating devices may be varied to suit the circumstances or exigencies of any particular case.

Furthermore, I aim to provide a time controlled mechanism which will be particularly useful in schools, hotels and similar institutions whereby signals may be given at certain hours so as to notify the occupants of a particular event.

A further object of my invention is to provide a mechanism of the type set forth which will embrace the desired features of simplicity, efliciency and durability, which may be installed and maintained at a minimum expense and which may be manufactured and marketed at a comparatlvely small cost.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth in and falling within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure l is a perspective view showing my invention connected with a clock. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view through the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the controlllng disks removed from the clock. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a clock equipped with a modified form of mechanism constructed in accordance with my present invention. Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 Fig. 6 is a plan view of the remaining controlling disk removed from the clock. Flg. 7 is a cross sectional view showing one manner of securing the contact fingers to the supporting block.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, 1 designates a suitable form of chronometer whlch, in the present instance, is in the form of a common type of clock. In this embodiment of my invention, the chronometer 1 is placed within a substantially rectangular casing 2 constructed of any suitable material such, for instance, as wood.

3 designates the arbor of the clock carrying the minute hand, while 4. indicates the hollow post surrounding the arbor and carrying the hour hand.

My improved mechanism comprises a circular disk 5 preferably constructed of insulating material and loosely surrounding the outer end of the arbor 3 and rigidly con nected with the outer extremity of the post 4 of the hour hand and rotatable with such post; and a disk 6 of insulating material disposed concentrically of the arbor 3 and rigidly connected thereto and spaced apart from the disk 5. These disks 5 and 6 are disposed in parallelism and are preferably detachably connected with the post and arbor respectively so that the disks may be readily and conveniently removed and replaced and new disks substituted therefor when desired.

In the preferred form of the invention, the disk 5 which, for convenience, may be termed the hour disk is formed with an annular row of slots or openings 7 adjacent to the periphery thereof, while the disk 6 which may be termed the minute disk is formed with a circular series of slots or openings 8 adjacent to the periphery thereof and capable of registering with any one of the slots 7 in the hour disk. Disposed upon the outer sides of the disks 5 and 6 are spring contact fingers 9, 9 having the ends thereof in proximity to the outer surfaces of the disks inturned as at 10 to wipe over the surfaces of the disks in the rotation of the latter under the action of the mechanism of the clock. The outer extremities of the contact fingers are connected with a block 11 of insulating material whereby the fingers are held spaced apart in parallelism and insulated from each other and the block 11 is secured to the adjacent portion of the casing 2 so as to maintain the fingers in proper position. Adjacent to the peripheries of the disks 5 and 6, the confronting faces of the'fingers 9, aareequipped with inwardly extending contacts 12, 12 adapted when the bent ends 10 of the fingers drop into registering slots in the disks to contact with each other whereby the circuit controlled by the fingers may be closed. In

thisinstance, the fingers are connectedwith maining contact finger dropping into the particular slot in the disk connected with the minute hand of the chronometer so' that- ;he contact fingers will engage each other at the determined time. The chronometer is now placed in operation and after the lapse of a prescribed period of time the bent ends of the contact fingers dropinto the registering openings thereby permitting the contacts 12, 12 to engage each other and so close the circuit 13 whereby the signal 15 will be sounded.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, I have shown a multiple" signal control and in this form of the invention' each disk is provided with a number of annular rows of slots, each row being disposed concentrically of the adjacent row or rows.- Bearing upon the outer surfaces of the disks are sets of contact fingers corresponding in number with the number of rows of slots. Thus, when the particular slots in the disks register a number of signals will be given. It will be understood, of course, that the rows of slots may be arranged difi'erently with respect to one another so that the signals may be given at different times.

Should it be desired to interrupt the circuit succeeding the closing thereof so that the signal may be sounded intermittently, a-

strip of insulation is arranged across one of the slots at the central portion thereof asillustrated in Figs. 1 and 5 so that in the continued rotation of the disk the bent ends of the contact fingers will be disengaged and- Onthe other hand, when it is desired to prolong.

subsequently permitted to reengage.

lower section are pins 17, 17 spaced apartand passed through openings in the upper section 16 and serving to prevent relative sliding movement of the sections 16. Passed through the sections 16, 16 and prefera-bly secured to the lower section is a fastening bolt 18 having the lower end thereof headed and countersunk in the bottom face of the lower section and the upper section thereof screw threaded and equipped with a. thumb nut- 19 whereby the sections of the insulating block are held together. The contact fingers maybe secured to the outer faces of the respective blocks in any desired manner, as by cement, riveting or the like. 7

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, mode of operation and manner of employing my invention will be" readily apparent. It will be seen that I have provided" a time controlled mechanism whereby any number of signals or other electric current translating devices may be energized at a predetermined time and whichmay be readily and conveniently adjusted to vary the time oftheenergization of the translating. devices.

While I have-herein shown and described certainpreferred forms of my invention by way of illustration, 1 wish it'to be under stood that I do not limit or confine myself to the precise details of construction herein described and delineated, as modification and variation may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a

chronometer comprising hour and minute hands, disks rotatable with the hour and minute hands respectively and formed with openings adapted to register with one another at predetermined intervals, and an electric circuit including the contact fingers bearing upon said disks and'adapted to be closed when the'contact fingers engage one another upon the registration of saidopen ings.

2. In a device of the class described, a chronometer comprising hour and minute hands, disks rotatable with the hour and minute hands respectively and each formed with a number of rows of slots disposed concentrically of one another, the slots of onerow of one disk being capable of registration with any one of the slots in the adj acent row of the other disk, contact fingers bearing upon said disks and corresponding in number with the number of rows of slots and adapted to engage one another upon the registration of the particular slots, co-' acting contact fingers being adapted to control an electric circuit.

3. In a device of the class described, a chronometer comprising hour and minute hands, disks rotatable with the hour and minute hands respectively and formed with openings adapted to register with one another at predetermined intervals, contact fingers bearing upon said disks and adapted to engage one another upon the registration of said openings and controlling an electric circuit, and means whereby the contact fingers may be disengaged momentarily.

4. In a device of the class described, a chronometer comprising hour and minute hands, disks rotatable with the hour and minute hands respectively and formed with openings adapted to register with one another at predetermined intervals, contact fingers bearing upon said disks and adapted to engage one another upon the registration of said openings and controlling an electric circuit, and a strip of insulation arranged across one of the registering slots whereby the contact fingers may be disengaged momentarily.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

KIEFFER G. HOOVER. Witnesses:

J. B. TAYLOR, E. E. TALLICHET.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent,

walhington, D. 0. 

